By Libby Boehmer, Staff Writer

Last week, Youtuber and Cincinnati native IShowSpeed visited his hometown and documented it on a stream that lasted over 11 hours. 

Darren Jason Watkins Jr., also known by his gamer tag IShowSpeed or Speed, first gained popularity in 2021 for his Youtube presence. His content primarily consisted of streaming video games such as Fortnite and NBA 2K.

Over the past few years, his channel has skyrocketed in views and has steered in a different direction. In 2023, Speed began live streaming internationally and has gone on several tours as part of a larger world tour. So far he has been on South American, European and Southeast Asian tours. He is currently on his North American tour, which is how he ended up back home in Cincinnati.

Appropriately clad in a Bengals shirt, Speed showed fans his childhood home, as well as several Cincinnati staples including Kenwood Mall, TQL Stadium, Fountain Square and more.

Cincinnati’s “where’d-you-go-to-high-school?” culture has clearly influenced Speed, as he spent a large portion of the stream at his alma mater Purcell Marian High School, which is located less than two miles from Xavier’s campus. Some of the most memorable moments from the stream were when Speed reconnected with his old teachers. A particularly heartwarming moment was when Speed saw a teacher who used to drive him home from practice every day and immediately gave him a big hug.

Speed also stopped in at Gold Star in Newport, KY for some Cincinnati chili. While he was eating his meal, a large crowd gathered outside the restaurant, and many began to attempt to break in. Some fans tried to get in through the back door of the restaurant and others climbed on top of the building. One person even cracked a window with his head, which Speed then paid to repair. The chili chain seemed to be relatively unbothered by the disturbance, however.

“Let’s just say Cheese Coneys were had, floors were mopped and a window may have been broken, but IShowSpeed’s rating of Gold Star Chili was a ‘ten out of ten,’” says a press release from Gold Star.

Cincinnati was Speed’s 13th out of a total of 35 days of touring the United States. He has visited a different major city everyday of the tour and is having a surprisingly positive impact. He is known for his candid and exaggerated reactions, but some have pointed out that his tours are an interactive way for his fans to witness different cultures through him. Speed said early on that the Cincinnati stream in particular would be like a documentary of his life, similar to how he is documenting different cultures both nationally and internationally.

While Speed has not named specific cities for his North American tour, he confirmed he will be visiting over 20 states and stream his entire day for 35 days straight. Each day he will be in a different city and will be sharing his experiences on a 24/7 Youtube live stream.